Name:DanielHome: Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaAbout Me: I used to believe that evolution was reasonable, that homosexuality was genetic, and that people became Christians because they couldn't deal with the 'reality' that this life was all there was. I used to believe, that if there was a heaven - I could get there by being good - and I used to think I was more or less a good person. I was wrong on all counts. One day I finally had my eyes opened and I saw that I was not going to go to heaven, but that I was certainly going to suffer the wrath of God for all my sin. I saw myself as a treasonous rebel at heart - I hated God for creating me just to send me to Hell - and I was wretched beyond my own comprehension. Into this spiritual vacuum Jesus Christ came and he opened my understanding - delivering me from God's wrath into God's grace. I was "saved" as an adult, and now my life is hid in Christ. I am by no means sinless, but by God's grace I am a repenting believer - a born again Christian.My complete profile...

The Buzz

Daniel's posts are almost always pastoral and God centered. I appreciate and am challenged by them frequently. He has a great sense of humor as well. - Marc Heinrich

His posts are either funny or challenging. He is very friendly and nice. - Rose Cole

[He has] good posts, both the serious like this one, and the humorous like yesterday. [He is] the reason that I have restrained myself from making Canadian jokes in my posts. - C-Train

This post contains nothing that is of any use to me. What were you thinking? Anyway, it's probably the best I've read all day. - David Kjos

There are some people who are smart, deep, or funny. There are not very many people that are all 3. Daniel is one of those people. His opinion, insight and humor have kept me coming back to his blog since I first visited earlier this year. - Carla Rolfe

In reading a clip over at Centurion's blog I was reminded of my old university days.

Back in university (before I came to Christ) it was the common practice of everyone I knew (myself being no exception) to spend our leisure time in exalted and philosophical debate - during which time we could showcase the various tidbits of knowledge we had picked up, and extol their worth in the grandest language we were able to muster. In this way we hoped to demonstrate our intellectual superiority - or at the very least, or intellectual right to assume a place in the grand halls of our dear old university. It was quite important to each of us that we appear learned and erudite to all our colleagues. In this pursuit our vocabularies swelled, and we sought at every opportunity to demonstrate their massive girth.After university I attended a technical college - and the atmosphere was entirely different. Here successful communication didn't involve lofty language - but rather successful communication was gauged on how easily understood one was. Direct speech, without all the glitter, was preferred.

Between the two experiences I began to understand that any writer can express themselves using technical language - but only truly talented writers can express themselves in common language.

As a musician I am not impressed by the technical brilliance of a movement - I am impressed by the art of the movement - does it speak to me, does it move me? Or is it simply an articulate expression of timing, tone, and cadence? Anyone can learn to master an instrument - but few people can learn to express themselves through an instrument.

In this same way I am impressed not by large vocabularies and complex sentences - they simply tell me that the author has some base proficiency in the things he is discussing. But when a writer can explain a complex issue in a way that a child could understand - then I am in the presence of brilliance - and I am rightly impressed.

Knowledge of a subject can puff up discussion about that subject - because part of the effort in discussing the subject is being spent on making oneself look knowledgeable. In the same way that yeast puffs up bread - lofty language can puff up a dialog or treatise - adding empty words for the sake of the author's erudite posture.

What a great exercise it is to go back over our own work and remove all loftiness! How we shudder to replace 'insouciantly' with 'light heartedly' - we want people to know how brilliant we are!

Brother, brilliance cannot be hidden by simple text, nor can it be counterfeited by exalted speech.